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The flight attendant companion

It was a special business trip for the Kreuzberg member of parliament Cansel Kiziltepe of the SPD. On Tuesday she accompanied three Berlin employees of the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, which had been cited in the headquarters to Dublin. The reason for this “invitation” was not very clear. All three, two men and one lady, work as flight attendants and had previously participated in strike action. As a rule, this employer is allergic, also allegedly with dismissals. Where he leads in different cases, other reasons.

Kiziltepe wanted to support the three, see what she had heard only by hearsay in her capacity as a volunteer “godmother” for the service union Verdi. And preferably the opinion of the management of this airline. “It can not be the case that companies cross-borderly violate workers’ rights. That’s why I would like to personally support and accompany the employee on her difficult date, ” she told the Tagesspiegel before leaving for Dublin.

And as a precaution, she also published a short video on her Facebook page , in which the slightly more prominent Federal Labor Minister and SPD party colleague Hubertus Heil stands by her side. “The employees at Ryanair have our support,” says Heil in the film. “The job situation at this company has moved me deeply, because I have experienced that cabin crew members not only have bad wages, not only bad working conditions, but, when they started arguing for their rights, were downright harassed.” ( Read here a report from a visit to Salvation by Frankfurt Ryanair staff).

The federal government and countries are aiming at a change in the law

From this one would have to draw conclusions. “We will change a law in Germany. There will also be a works council guarantee for the airspace, “Heil announced, opening doors for some of the federal states to launch a corresponding Federal Council initiative. Apparently, salvation seeks to amend paragraph 117 of the Works Constitution Act before the end of the year. This states that aviation companies do not necessarily have to make their employees working in flight available through a works council.

Heil explains in the film that Kiziltepe accompanies the Ryanair staff to make it clear in Dublin that “who confuses globalization with exploitation, the resistance not only of employees, but the entire German social democracy and European politics.”

About this concentrated social democratic support, the three were pleased by the Ryanair crew. Colleague Janina Schneider, said she was barely half a year with Ryanair, in two weeks, her contract should be time-limited. During that time, she had to get sick three times for a total of seven days. She also confirms her participation in strike action – and flew to Ireland with a queasy feeling. “They’re always finding new people so they can just throw us away,” she said. For 13 years she worked for various employers and never had a similar conflict. “We went on strike because we just want our rights. That means, for example, a German employment contract . That’s not asking too much, is it? “

Everything was over after ten minutes

Tuesday afternoon, the group arrived at the Ryanair headquarters. All three colleagues had one-to-one interviews – none of them lasted more than five to ten minutes, reported the MP, who had to wait in an anteroom. “Extremely friendly”, everyone had been treated. However, probably hard in the matter. So the Irish wanted to learn from the employee Schneider also the reason for their sick leave.

Cansel Kiziltepe asked for an appointment with Ryanair’s personnel manager, with whom she apparently already had contact. He was not there. Another conversation partner, who would have been eligible, was not on the fast. “I did not sign up,” admits Kiziltepe. Whether their escort helped these three flight attendants in the end or even harmed, was not clear by Tuesday night. While other colleagues in Dublin are said to have received immediate notice of termination, Ryanair’s staffers consoled these three for the next few days.